Robby Hecht
Album: Robby Hecht
Label: Old Man Henry
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.triogitan.com

Whilst "Robby Hecht" is his third solo album, it's only now that he feels right sticking the name on the title. That's partly because, like a number of singer-songwriters, he's been diagnosed as having bi-polar disorder and has really only just come to terms with how that makes him who he is.

He's also Nashville based, a city that I've always felt has an element of bi-polar to it it's self as it launches dreams as easily as it rips people up and spits them out, something that's true of its folk, country and Americana scenes, with this album whilst folkish in nature, particularly in how the narrative is put together.

There are elements of the album that feel as though he's being quite cathartic, but some of the best songs are those that have a deep personal touch, the trick is to do them in such a way that you can make the listener feel a little uncomfortable without making them feel like a voyeur. "Feeling It Now" being a song that brings this out the best, staying on the knife edge

I hope "Barrio Moon" isn't one of the songs that comes from Hecht's personal experience as it's a gloriously dark murder ballad that draws on a tale of a misunderstanding and stabbing involving two old friends and has a real chill to it.

"Robby Hecht" is an album that shows why its creator has picked up a number of songwriting awards on his travels. You can understand why he feels comfortable adding his name to this one, because it does also reflect a very positive side to his nature, one that shows a real understanding and the courage to express it.

Neil King